As most of you know by now, I’m diligently preparing for the December LSAT. I stated in previous posts that I opted not to take LSAT classes like those offered by the major test prep companies, and now I’ll explain why. First of all, those thinking about taking LSAT preparation courses should understand that these corporations are businesses. It is, sadly, not in their best interest to help you increase your score. After payment for the course, they’ll likely never concern themselves with the quality of your LSAT prep. This is especially true depending on the size of the LSAT classes. I’ve heard many unsatisfied students opting out of some of the larger test prep companies’ courses because of a lack of focus on individual concerns, as well as the difficult of moving at a pace that was either too fast or too slow.

I personally took SAT prep classes, and vowed never to take them ever again. The LSAT preparation courses don’t seem that much better. They are only valuable under the following conditions: if the teacher themselves got a 178-180, or if the classes are less than 10 people. First off, LSAT test takers should not be learning from someone who has not absolutely mastered the examination. My standards are high because I believe that thousands of dollars spent on answering a limited number of questions should guarantee the best service available. Secondly, it is hard to learn what I have to learn for the LSAT test when the rest of the students in my class have difficulties completely different from mine. With such a complex test, a classroom setting is simply not efficient nor desirable.

Now, one-on-one LSAT tutoring is highly recommended. You get personalized attention for your specific needs. The LSAT is a highly personalized exam– numerous facets call for very specific solutions depending on the individual. I personally have no problems with reading comprehension, but seem to be awful at logic games. The sole LSAT tutor could then devise a plan to help me through the games before entering into any other realm of LSAT preparation. Certain LSAT test prep companies that are run by a small number of individuals hold quality classes. At that level, they can still connect with the student enough to understand his or her confusion.

Online LSAT classes are a great concept, but poorly thought out. Many of them are in video format, which, after a while, can cause strain on the eyes. In addition, it’s obviously very difficult to do any kind of writing on the screen– and diagramming/noting on the exam is a major part of freeing your brainpower. Online LSAT classes force you to do much of the test questions in your head. This may be good for memorization, but unnecessarily strenuous and the test taking experience may be unfamiliar come test day.